


Aelin publicly defends Dorian

by sarah_bae_maas



Category: Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-09-07 15:55:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16856962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarah_bae_maas/pseuds/sarah_bae_maas
Summary: Posted Feb 6, 2017 on my timber sarah-bae-maas





	Aelin publicly defends Dorian

She was home.

She was still broken, still fighting, but at least she was home.

As she stood on the balcony of her childhood palace in Orynth, thin sheath swirling around her in the breeze and hair loose on her face, she didn’t know whether the snow and pine she could smell was from the mountains in the distance or her mate beside her.

“Fireheart,” He said soothingly.

“I know.” She choked. “I can’t, Rowan. I can’t _think_. I can’t do it, I can’t punish Aedion for this. He’s hurting. He didn’t mean to. _Gods,_ why did Chaol demand this? What right does he have-”

“He is the Hand of the King, and although I disagree with his decision to call for a punishment, it is within his right to do so. If someone attacked you like that, I would have done the same.”

Aelin cringed at his words. Rowan claimed he would do the same, but Aelin knew he would not. No, Rowan would have justly dealt with the problem there, rather than inciting the fury of those around him. Now, not only where the people scared for the war, but they were scared that the Crown was too unstable to handle the aftermath.

Her mind kept replaying the scene in her head. The bustling crowd, the sound of Dorian’s nose as Aedion broke it, the screams as people ran from the blood, Chaol bellowing that Aedion needed to be reprimanded for touching the rightful King of Adarlan.

“If it is any consolation, I don’t believe Chaol was thinking straight when he called for the council to give a formal punishment.”

“But it’s not the council who has to decide,” she sobbed.

Aelin had scarcely been home. After Rowan and the others had saved her, and subsequently defeated Maeve, she had been welcomed into Orynth. After all, she gave them their army, and they never even knew she had been gone. That was a story she would share after the defeat of Erawan – right now she needed their full trust and revealing it had been a shapeshifter in her place for so long would definitely work against her.

It was so much so quickly. Aedion was not someone she could control her emotions around, and she suspected that if her mate hadn’t gathered her in his arms after her first sob, then she would be on her knees uncontrollably upset.

She clutched at Rowan’s shirt and pressed her face into his warm chest.

“Talk to Aedion, Fireheart. I can come with you, if that’s what you want. His punishment won’t be a grave one, it can’t be even if Chaol and Dorian wanted it with all their hearts.”

Aelin sniffled and rose her head. She was hit with the full gaze of his green eyes, and his look alone gave her the strength to stand on her two feet again. “I’ll deal with Aedion.” She breathed. “You should check on Gavriel. I don’t want any slit throats over this, and I worry for anyone who threatens his son.”

Rowan’s hands were tight around his waist, and before he let her go he pulled her in closer and kissed her. It wasn’t frantic, like their kisses had been when he’d found her, but they also weren’t the kisses a content husband and wife might have. It was the grey in between. Just enough for her to be satisfied for now, but never enough for long.

_____

Aelin dressed in clothes more appropriate for public, and wandered down to the cells where Aedion was being mandatorily kept. It had not been her choice, she had nearly rioted when they took her cousin from her, but it was decided by the lords.

It was cold in the tunnels. The cold of the night had infiltrated the space and left it so chill that every bone in her body was rattling. Aelin hated that she was cold. Hated that she couldn’t warm their home. But her magic was depleted and healing, and Rowan assured her that these things would take time, and she needed to be at her best for when they face Erawan. She knew he was correct, the buzzard usually is, but it still cut her when she saw Aedion curled on the gritty stone floor of his cell.

“Don’t look at me like that. I’ve survived much worse.” As Aedion spoke, Aelin could see the air turn frosty from his breath.

“You shouldn’t be here in the first place. None of this should have happened.”

Aedion smirked at his cousin, and sat up. He crossed his legs and leant back on his hands. “Tell me, Aelin, and what should have happened instead? The prince was out of line-”

“ _King,_ Aedion. Dorian is a king and you should address him as so. I don’t agree with you being here, but your actions today were disrespectful and detrimental to our cause.”

“Pfft. Poor Dorian. Did he get some dirt on his precious hands? Maybe not having a hair stylist with him at all times is affecting him more than we originally thought.”

“ _Aedion Ashryver_!”

“Don’t use that tone with me, your majesty. This is all just a ruse anyway. Do you really think I believe there will be any sort of consequences for my actions? Hurting me would affect any Terrasian more than the precious prince. I was here, Aelin, all those years caring for our country, and not a single person here doesn’t know it. The Havilliards are pure evil. What they have done to us, to our _family_ -”

“This needs to stop! You can’t keep taking your political frustrations out on Dorian when it was his father-”

“I know Dorian a hell of a lot better than you do, Aelin.” Aedion snarled.

“That is not at all true! If I didn’t think that he was different, that he was _good_ , do you really think I would help him regain his throne in any way?”

“You seem to forget that I knew him for years before Celaena ever did. The only time you ever knew him was when he was either using you to regain his crown or when he was trying to get you into bed.”

Aelin banged her hands on the iron bars of his cell in frustration. “I thought we were past this Aedion! I thought after I was gone-”

“Gone? _Gone?!_ You weren’t _gone_ Aelin, you were taken. You sacrificed yourself, and didn’t even have the decency to tell us. Don’t you think I would have liked to have known that the only family I have left was going to do that to herself? Or that the only reason the woman I love would ever touch me is because you whored her out? What about Rowan? Do you really think that he would’ve ever recovered from losing you? Have you ever thought about someone other than yourself?” Aedion jumped up and met her at the bars. His lip was pulled back and teeth bared in an animalistic show of anger.

Looking at her cousin, at his obvious pain and suffering… Aelin understood now. Understood that his anger at Dorian wasn’t anger at the king at all. Her eyes stung, and she couldn’t help the tears that fell.

She reached a hand through the bars and soothed back his hair – tucking it behind his ears. His brows furrowed at her touch, and his mouth went slack.

“I’m sorry.” Aelin whispered. “I never wanted to hurt you. I love you so much.”

With one hand Aedion held the hand on his face, linking their fingers and squeezing. With his other, he, too, reached through the bars so he could wipe away her tears.

“Please don’t cry Aelin.” Her tears were making some of his own appear.

“This is all my fault, and I know that now. But Aedion, please, you must stop taking it out on the people around us. I know I’ve hurt you in irreconcilable ways, and I will never forgive myself for the pain I’ve caused you, but this is a time when we all need to come together. I know you and Dorian have had your differences in the past, and it needs to stop. He is a changed man,” a smile appeared on her face, “he’s no longer the fine lady we knew as a child.” She laughed lightly, but it was interrupted by a sob.

Aedion pulled her forward, as much as he could with the iron between them, and gave her the closest thing to a hug he could.

“Whatever happens tomorrow, my fiery cousin, I know that you are doing it for our people, and that your punishment will be just. I love you too. Even if you are stubborn as a mule.”

_____

Aelin stood on a podium in front of a crowd of hundreds, excluding the Bane that had also gathered. There were civilians and nobles making up the brunt of the crowd, all curious as to what the lost queen would do to Wolf of the North.

On her left was Rowan standing tall and proud. Now that she was here, actually her and not just Lysandra in her skin, they had announced their marriage properly, and much to the disdain of some of the lords of Terrasen. Aelin refused to hide her love for him, as she refused to hide her love for anybody. Not now. Not anymore. Not ever.

On her right was Dorian and Chaol. Somewhere, hidden among the crowd, Aelin was sure Manon and her Thirteen were stalking around. Where Dorian was, it seemed the witch always followed.  

Chaol had the nerve to look nervous. The night just passed Rowan had spent an hour convincing her as to why she shouldn’t be mad with him, and eventually she had let her anger at him go. Thank the Gods she had Rowan to keep her grounded.

She may not be mad at him, but she still didn’t think he had the right to be nervous about an event he orchestrated.

“After an incident yesterday involving the General and the rightful king to the throne of Adarlan, I am here to bestow his punishment.” Aelin started her speech.

The rustling crowd grew silent, all wide eyed and focused on their future queen.

“Aedion Ashryver is a hero to this country. Even in the direst of times, the darkest of our days, he did everything in his power to defend our people against the tyranny of the late king. Without his efforts in the rebellion, an unspeakable amount of lives would have been lost.”

There was confusion surrounding her speech. It did not sound like a declamation for a man who was going to be penalised.

“But.” Aelin turned towards Dorian and held out her hand. He took it unwaveringly and stepped closer to her side. “Dorian Havilliard deserves respect as much as Aedion does. His Majesty fights bravely not just for his own country but also for ours. He is not his father, and he will help us win this war.” Aelin bowed her head to Dorian and released his hand. “That is why there must be retribution for his actions.” It killed her to say it, but she also believed in her words. No more lying – not from her.

“For attacking the king of Adarlan unfairly, I hereby decree that Aedion Ashryver forfeit his landholdings in Adarlan to the king to use for whatever purposes he seems fit. That is all.”

Aelin spun on her heels, making her green dress flow around her elegantly as she strode away from the platform. Rowan was instantly at her side and offered his elbow as they went down the stairs that led to an entrance to the palace behind them.

The others quickly followed.

Once they entered the palace and no one was in hearing distance, Aedion grabbed Aelin’s elbow and spun her to look at him. “You do realise I don’t own any land in Adarlan, right?”

Aelin scoffed. “Of course I know that. Good thing is, they don’t. Problem solved.”

“Problem not solved!” Chaol shouted. He stormed up to the pair, red faced and seething. “How in any way does this fix anything? _Gods Aelin!”_

Before Aelin could reply, Dorian swaggered up to them with a wide smirk on his face. “I think it was quite genius.”

Chaol turned to his best friend, utter disbelief written on his face. Dorian’s smirk did not falter though. Looking at Dorian, you would never have known that the previous day he’d had his nose broken. Between Rowan’s healing magic and Dorian’s, the bone had healed and not even a bruise was left behind.

“This way the public knows that we stand as a united front, but also as people who do not see each other as being above the law. It humanises us. It also means that any internal conflicts we have with each other won’t fester as much as it would otherwise.” Dorian turned his blue gaze on Aedion. Surprisingly, the two did not glare at each other. “Past aside, you are my friend Aedion Ashryver. And I will prove to you that I’m not my father.”

Aedion hung his head and shook it. “You have. Many times over. It is I who needs to change my attitude.”

Rowan came up behind Aelin and wrapped his arms around her waist. He rested his chin on her head and she held onto his arms.

Progress. They would need to act as one to defeat Erawan, and it seemed they were heading in the right direction.


End file.
